


Playmate from Hell

by astudyinfic



Series: Let's Make a Deal [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Child Alec Lightwood, Gen, Imaginary Friends, Obviously because Magnus is many things but he wouldn't be hitting on a child, Pre-Relationship, Prequel, Prince of Hell Magnus Bane, friends - Freeform, that's gross
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-08-05 04:20:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16360670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astudyinfic/pseuds/astudyinfic
Summary: Alec loves playing with the new kid at the park.Magnus can't quite figure out the young nephilim, something that bothers him more than he can admit.





	Playmate from Hell

**Author's Note:**

> It would really be best to read [Faust Would Understand](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13615986) before reading this. It gives context to this fic. Likewise, this fic answers an unanswered question from that one. It's a lovely circle.

“Mama, please?”  Alec tugged on his mother’s arm, trying to get her attention.  He knew she was important, that the Head of the Institute always had duties and that those duties came before everything else.  But she’d promised to take him to the park and he really,  _ really _ wanted to go.  

His new friend would be there. 

Every time they’d gone over the last few weeks, the other boy arrived only a few minutes later.  Alec thought he might live nearby and came over when he saw Alec show up. He liked that idea, that the other kid waited for him because he wanted to play.  The boy said his name was Magnus and he knew all sorts of fun games. They played pirates most, pretending to be the captains of some vast ship out on the seven seas.  But sometimes they went into space or were soldiers or just ran around chasing each other.

“Alright, Alec,” Maryse finally huffed, knowing she would never get her four-year-old son to stop pestering her until she gave in.  “But you only have a half hour. I have too many other things to do to sit around there all day with mundanes.”

The park was only a few minutes from the Institute and Alec ran ahead, always staying where Maryse could see him.  He knew better than most children what might be lurking in the dark shadows, ready to pounce on anyone with angel blood.  At least, those were the stories Hodge told him at night.

As soon as the playground was in sight, Alec pointed.  “Can I go, Mama? You can see me, right?”

“Yes, go, Alec.”  Maryse wasn’t moving as fast now that she was pregnant with her second child and Alec appreciated not having to wait for her to catch up. 

He sprinted ahead, a huge grin on his face when he saw Magnus waiting for him, spinning slowly in the tire swing.  “Don’t those make you dizzy?” Alec asked as he got close. “I can’t swing on them. I get sick.” 

Magnus laughed cheeks flushed from the late autumn chill and jumped down.  “I like them but if you can’t play with it, let’s do something else.” He took Alec by the hand and led him through the rest of the playground, the two pretending to be astronauts this time, traveling through the depths of space, with only one another to rely on.  “Major Alec! Major Alec! Do you come in?”

“I’m here Magnus,” Alec said back, peeking his head around the corner.

“You’re supposed to say roger!” Magnus chastised him and Alec nodded sagely.  Magnus knew a lot more about these games then Alec did. Probably because he was a little older.  Maybe even six! “You say, ‘Roger Magnus, I hear you!’” 

“Okay!!  Roger Magnus, I hear you!” Alec parroted back and the two boys grinned at one another until the couldn’t help but laugh.  The joyous laughter of childhood, clean and clear without any malice whatsoever. Alec didn’t laugh like that at the Institute, where he had to be serious, studying and training all the time.

They were still laughing when Maryse called for Alec.  “Alec! It’s time to go home. I need to get back to work.”

He sighed and waved goodbye to his friend.  “Bye Magnus! I’ll see you again soon, okay?”

“Okay!  Bye Alexander!”

Maryse took his hand and led him away from the park, tugging him back onto the path when Alec veered to kick some fallen leaves or found an interesting pinecone.  “Did you have fun?” Maryse asked and he looked up at her with a broad smile. 

“I did!  Magnus and I were astronauts today.”

“Magnus?”

Alec frowned and nodded with the seriousness only a four-year-old could manage.  “Yes, Magnus. My best friend. He was there.” Why was she even asking? He’d played with Magnus the entire time.  She must have seen them.

He didn’t understand Maryse’s sigh or when she told him, “Alec, there was no one else there.  You were the only child. Nephilim don’t have the luxury of imaginations. It’s time to give up your imaginary friend and get ready for being a Shadowhunter.”

Alec frowned but didn’t argue.  He knew better than to argue with her.  That never ended well. “Yes, Mama,” he said quietly, though he didn’t believe her.  Of course, Magnus was there. Of course, he was real. Alec couldn’t have made up someone so amazing, he knew it.  He just wouldn’t tell Mama about him again. It was better for Magnus to be his secret anyway.

It made him feel special that someone like Magnus only wanted to be friends with him.

* * *

“You went up there again, didn’t you?” his father asked the moment he walked back into the throne room, still grinning from playing with his friend.  “I don’t understand what has you so captivated about this little nephilim.”

The air shimmered around him and Magnus shifted from his younger self to his current age, centuries old yet still far too young as far as Asmodeus was concerned.  “I’m not sure, Father. That’s why I keep going back. There’s something about him that blocks me from seeing his future.  You know how irritating that is. I dislike not knowing things.” 

His eyes glowed as he considered the nephilim child, trying once more to see Alexander’s future. It was rare his powers failed him. Magnus knew what would happen to most people if he chose to look. But with Alexander Lightwood, there was nothing but dark, as if he was purposefully blocked out for some reason he didn’t understand. 

It was annoying. 

“He’s just a nephilim. There are too many of them anyway.  Kill him and be done with it.” Magnus understood his father was pragmatic and while he understood where Asmodeus was coming from, he didn’t like it.  

Magnus’s stomach soured at the thought of someone killing Alec.  The kid was sweet and innocent and Magnus kind of liked him. For a nephilim.  Magnus couldn’t give his father that answer, though. He might be sympathetic to the child, but Magnus was still a demon and had a duty to his people and his realm.  “If I kill him, then I’ll never know what is blocking me. After I find out, then I will be done with him.” 

Asmodeus pursed his lips, stepping around his son to pour them each a glass of wine.  “If you could turn him, get his soul somehow, a nephilim could be useful to us. Watch him - from a distance - and see how we could use him, how to catch him in our web.  Be there for him in his darkest moments. But otherwise stay away. You have other duties and you can’t keep playing pirates when we have a realm to rule.”

Sighing, Magnus nodded.  He would wait. Alec Lightwood would need someone eventually and Magnus would be there.  To help him out of whatever situation Alec found himself in and to answer Magnus’s questions.

What was Alec Lightwood to him? What was the universe hiding from him?  Why Alec Lightwood of everyone in the world?

Magnus could be patient.  He had plenty of time.

He would find out the answers and then he would walk away. Not like he had any interest in the child other than intellectual curiosity.  As his father said, there were plenty of nephilim in the world. This one would turn out to be no different. 

Alec Lightwood was nothing to him but a peculiarity.  

Magnus believed that.  Because anything else was just too strange to even consider.  

 


End file.
